What to do with a bunch of celery… that was my challenge. I had two big bunches from my CSA that were about to pass their prime.
When my friend Janet suggested making celery soup, I was like “Um, come again?”.
I love celery for snacking and, of course, as a vital ingredient in the mirepoix base of stews and soups; but it had never occurred to me to make a soup in which celery was the star.
This recipe is a hybrid of a few I found online, plus some additions of my own to spice it up. The subtle flavor of this smooth and creamy soup is simply lovely – I can’t think of a more appropriate word to describe it. Dill adds an especially springy flavor. (Skip it if you hate dill. It will still be tasty.)
Replace the butter with extra virgin olive oil to make it vegan.
Enjoy!
Creamy Spring Celery Soup
Adapted from Creamy Celery Soup, Everyday Food, March 2016
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings: About 8
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (Extra virgin olive oil would be good too, but… BUTTER!!)
1-1/2 pounds (about 12-15 stalks) celery, sliced into 1/2 pieces, leaves reserved for garnish
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 shallots, coarsely chopped
4-5 small red potatoes (or 1 medium potato), boiled or baked, peeled, and cut into 1/2 pieces
1/2 teaspoon dill weed (All I had was dry, but fresh would be even better. Remember to adjust the amount accordingly.)
6 cups vegetable stock
1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
Coarse sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Directions:
- Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery, onion, shallot, garlic, potato, dill, a pinch of salt, and some black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes.
- Puree soup until smooth. (It’s best to do this in batches unless you have a really big blender. Make sure you remove the cap from the hole in the lid to allow steam to escape.) Pour soup back in saucepan, stir in lemon juice, and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve, garnished with celery leaves.
Enjoy! And tell me in the comments what you think after you make it.
xo,
